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The Major

The Major provides an opportunity to know a segment of human knowledge deeply, with a sufficient grasp of its modes of thinking and analysis.

The College offers more than 55 majors across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, and many programs provide options for concentrating in any number of specialty areas. You will begin to explore your options in discussions with your pre-major advisor, as well as in your course selection over the first two to three semesters. Discussions with students or department chairs within majors will also inform your decision before you declare a major by the end of your sophomore year.

Take advantage of all of the resources that are available to you. By doing so, you will find the major that's meant for you.

Honors in the Major

Departmental honors programs provide students with the opportunity to take advanced courses, to work closely with faculty members on research projects, and to have the distinction entered on their transcripts

Students with a minimum g.p.a. of 3.0 may apply to their department or program to become candidates for honors in the major. Some majors will require a higher g.p.a.

Applications for honors in the major are usually taken in the first semester of the junior year.

The requirements for honors in the major vary from program to program and may include special courses and individual research on specialized subjects under the guidance of a faculty advisor. In some departments, additional credit is authorized for work done by honors candidates.

Students who complete honors in the major will have this designation entered on their transcripts.

Individualized Major

The individualized major offers an opportunity for exceptional, creative, self-motivated students to explore innovative and multi-disciplinary fields of knowledge.

Students with an interest in the individualized major must demonstrate that the goals of the proposed major cannot be met within the boundaries of a currently offered College major or its combination with another major or minor(s)..

Declared a standard major by the end of their sophomore year. (They must continue on to complete at least a minor in that area.)

As part of the application students must:

Meet with Dr. Hocine Fetni in the College Office no later than their fourth semester to discuss details of the major and the application process.

Provide a concise rationale for their proposed major.

Plan a tentative coherent course of study for the major, with at least 14 c.u., to culminate in a major research project which, upon completion, will be presented to the University community in a public lecture. (This should be done in consultation with two faculty advisors. See below.)

Find at least one standing faculty member in the School of Arts and Sciences who recognizes merit in the proposed individualized study and accepts the responsibility of acting as the student's main advisor for the individualized major and for sponsoring and overseeing the thesis.

Find another faculty member whose specialty is in some way related to the major, but is different from the first advisor's and who is willing to serve as a second advisor.

Double Majors

A student pursuing a double major satisfies the requirements for two separate major programs within the College but earns a single degree, the B.A.

Students who wish to double major may do so by applying for, and completing the requirements for, each major.

Students interested in double majoring should consult with their pre-major advisor.

Students who are double majoring must complete 18 unique course units between the two majors. Students who are triple majoring must complete 24 unique course units among the three majors. Major departments may have additional rules limiting such double counting.